IRAQI OFFENSIVE IN MAJNOON ISLAND AREA BEGINS

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SUBJECT: IRAQI OFFENSIVE IN MAJNOON ISLAND AREA BEGINS

NOT FINALLY EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE







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CONTROLS:

     252148Z JUN 88     







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1. IRAN-IRAQ FRONTLINE

IRAQI OFFENSIVE IN MAJNOON ISLAND AREA BEGINS.     







TEXT:

1. IRAN-IRAQ FRONTLINE     

IRAQI OFFENSIVE IN MAJNOON ISLAND AREA BEGINS.     



IRAQI FORCES HAVE LAUNCHED A LARGE-SCALE OFFENSIVE, AND HAVE

CAPTURED FORMER IRANIAN-HELD TERRITORY IN THE MAJNOON ISLANDS

AREA     BY MEANS OF A COORDINATED GROUND

AND AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT, SUPPORTED BY ARTILLERY AND AIR

OPERATIONS, IRAQI FORCES HAVE ADVANCED APPROXIMATELY 10 NM

NORTH OF THE `STEP' AREA AND TO THE NORTHWEST EDGE OF NORTH

MAJNOON ISLAND.     



NORTH OF THE `STEP' AREA, ELEMENTS OF TWO IRAQI ARMOR DIVISIONS

HAVE PUSHED APPROXIMATELY 10 NM INTO IRAN IN AN EFFORT TO

SECURE TERRITORY TO THE EAST OF THE MAJNOON ISLANDS. THESE

WERE PROBABLY THE SAME DIVISIONS DEPLOYED IN THE `STEP' AREA ON

     JUNE. MAJOR ELEMENTS WERE DEPLOYING ALONG AN EAST-WEST CANAL

APPROXIMATELY 10 NM NORTH OF THE `STEP' AREA AND CONNECTING

NORTH MAJNOON ISLAND WITH JOFEYR. OTHER ELEMENTS WERE SECURING

TERRITORY NEAR JOFEYR AT 31-11N 048-10E AND 31-09N 047-55E,     



ON NORTH MAJNOON ISLAND, AN IRAQI AMPHIBIOUS FORCE HAD LANDED

ON THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF THE ISLAND AND WAS DISLODGING AND

OVERRUNNING SEVERAL IRANIAN POSITIONS, INCLUDING A TANK

BATTALION AND SEVERAL ARTILLERY SITES. IN ADDITION, IRAQI

INFANTRY WAS ADVANCING ALONG THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL ROADS,

AND A TANK COMPANY WAS DEPLOYED IN POSITIONS ON THE NORTHWEST

EDGE OF THE ISLAND FACING IRANIAN POSITIONS TO THE NORTH ACROSS

THE MARSH. IRANIAN FORCES APPEARED TO BE RETREATING AHEAD OF

THE IRAQI FORCES, ALONG A ROAD NEAR THE NORTHEAST END OF THE 

ISLAND, WITH A REMNANT FORCE PROVIDING FIRE COVER. THE IRANIAN

TROOPS WERE HEADING TOWARD AN AREA ON THE MAINLAND WHERE

ELEMENTS OF AN IRANIAN ARTILLERY REGIMENT HAD BEEN DECIMATED BY

IRAQI ARTILLERY OR AIR OPERATIONS. SEVERAL FIRES, PROBABLY

CAUSED BY SHELLING, WERE BURNING IN THIS AREA. IRAQI ENGINEERS

WERE COMPLETING TWO CAUSEWAYS BETWEEN SOUTH AND NORTH MAJNOON

ISLAND. WHEN COMPLETE, IRAQI FORCES WILL BE ABLE TO TRAVEL

OVERLAND WITH HEAVY EQUIPMENT, LOGISTICS, AND FOLLOW-UP FORCES.

SOME IRAQI INFANTRY UNITS WERE FORDING ONE OF THESE CAUSEWAYS.     



NO EVIDENCE OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS USE WAS     IN THE BATTLE

AREAS. THE TWO DECONTAMINATION STATIONS     

     HAD NOT MOVED AND THERE WAS NO

DISCERNIBLE ACTIVITY. IN ADDITION, THE PREVIOUSLY DEPLOYED FROG

BRIGADE WAS STILL IN PLACE, AND NO EVIDENCE OF MISSILE FIRINGS

     



IN A PROBABLE RELATED IRANIAN RESPONSE, MUNITIONS AND FIGHTER

ALERT ACTIVITY     AT TEHRAN-MEHRABAD AIRFIELD     

     . ONE TRAILER-TRUCK     LOADED WITH

MUNITIONS AS WELL AS SEVERAL DOLLIES LOADED WITH PROBABLE

MUNITIONS IN A NEARBY AMMUNITION STORAGE AREA. PROBABLE FIGHTER

ALERT STATUS INCLUDED TWO F-4 ON THE FLIGHT LINE AND ONE F-4

AND ONE F-5 IN THE DISPERSAL AREA. THREE F-14 WERE IN THE

MAINTENANCE AREA OF THE AIRFIELD. THE AIRCRAFT ON ALERT WERE

PROBABLY BEING USED AS SECURITY FOR THE TEHRAN AREA.     







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